Demand for in-home data and telephony services has grown dramatically in recent years and is expected to continue to increase. Accordingly, providers of data and telephony services have sought to design and deploy broadband networks with increased delivery capacity.
One broadband technology that has become particularly popular is digital subscriber lines (DSL). DSL offers increased data transfer rates and integrated telephony and data services using the existing public switched telephone network (PSTN), which previously was used exclusively for telephone voice communications.
As the demand for DSL service has grown, service providers have needed to build-out their infrastructure for providing DSL service. In particular, service providers have needed to quickly install large numbers of network elements devoted to providing DSL service. For example, service providers have needed to install large numbers of digital subscriber line multiplexors (DSLAM's), remote access multiplexors (MiniRAMs), subtending, element management systems (EMS's), as well as other network elements, in a geographically distributed network. Installing, managing, and administering these quickly expanding, geographically distributed DSL networks has become increasing complex, time consuming, and expensive.
One aspect of DSL network maintenance that has proven particularly cumbersome is provisioning of DSL services. Generally, in order to provide DSL service to a customer, numerous DSL network elements need to be configured so as to create a communication path, which may be referred to as a permanent virtual circuit (PVC), from the customer through the DSL network to an Internet service provider (ISP). The process of routing an order for DSL service and configuring the network elements to create the PVC is often referred to as “provisioning.”
Generally, DSL provisioning involves routing a DSL service request through a series of administrative systems until the request is forwarded to a network management system (NMS), which controls the configuration of network elements for creating PVCs and/or a tunnel through the DSL network to an ISP/NSP. The NMS determines which network elements, cards, ports and logical assignments need to be configured for creation of the PVC/tunnel and cross connects at the multiplexors. It routes requests to one or more element management systems (EMS's), and sometime directly to the network element to implement the configurations. The EMS's in turn communicate with network elements for example, DSLAM's, miniRAM's, ATM switches, IP routers and switches to implement connectivity from the customer through the DSL network elements to an ISP/NSP.
Thus, the provisioning process may involve routing a request for service through numerous computerized administrative systems, configuring numerous DSL network elements to establish a PVC from the end user to an ATM network, and configuring still more network elements to complete the PVC through an ATM/IP network to an ISP/NSP. Optimally, the provisioning process, from the time the order is received until the time the service is activated, takes from 20 seconds to a couple of minutes.
Of course, there are often delays and failures in the provisioning process. Quickly identifying points of failure is essential for the smooth operation of the DSL network and to meet customer expectations. Also, these backups can drive upstream systems into overload and excessive processing which can have a ripple effect in the IT space. In existing DSL networks, such troubleshooting activities are performed manually by technicians using spreadsheets or logging into servers.
Applicants have noted that relying on technicians to manually troubleshoot DSL provisioning is slow, costly, inefficient, and prone to human error. Such inefficiencies may be tolerable when only a small number of lines need provisioning, but quickly become unsatisfactory when, as is now the situation, thousands of DSL lines are ordered on a daily basis.
Accordingly, Applicants have recognized a need in the art for automated systems and methods for monitoring DSL provisioning.